Tuesday, February 20, 2018

ESNAVI who hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a multifaceted artist with a voice of undeniable soul, lyrics of thought provoking truth and music that harmoniously blends everything in between. ESNAVI first captured the music world with her top 40 Urban A/C single, “Unexpected Love” from her debut album Exit E. Back with a brand new single, “The Way”, and a forthcoming album, the Singer/Songwriter and Dynamic Performer is taking her career to the next level of greatness. Check her out...

Terrance: For starters. How do you pronounce your name and it’s origin?

Esnavi: It’s Es-Nah-V. I don’t want to say it’s an acronym because I don’t use it with periods, but it means Eclectic, Soulful, Natural, Authentic, Vivacious and Intriguing, which are all the adjectives that describe me as a person and describes my artistry.

Terrance: Talk about the meaning behind your new single, “The Way”.

Esnavi: “The Way” is about my desire to be shown how to love the love of my life. I wanted to know how to love him the way he needed to be loved. I think oftentimes in relationships the reciprocity isn't always on the same level and both parties don’t necessarily express love in same way. So I wanted to write a song that explored my feelings with honest sentiment that people could relate to.

Terrance: What do you hope to achieve with this single?

Esnavi: I hope it puts me on a platform to take my career to the next level and help me get more exposure than I’ve previously had. That’s pretty much the goal with every single I release. I hope it helps my fanbase to keep growing and growing.

Esnavi: Oh yeah, it was a big deal for me. It was my debut single and reached the Top 40 on the Urban A/C charts. That accomplishment carried me a long way! It even made it to karaoke catalogs worldwide. A lot of amazing opportunities came from its success so it would be great to have another Top 40 hit (laughs).

Terrance: Detail us what are we to expect from your forthcoming sophomore album Detour.

Esnavi: Detour is like when you’re on the road and trying to get somewhere and then you find out an exit is closed, so your route isn’t as smooth as you'd like it to be. It parallels that aspect of my life during my journey in music and when I was thinking like, you do this and XYZ happens, like it’s this straight path. But along the way I realized it’s not that easy and you’re gonna come into a lot of roadblocks and a lot of challenges and the songs on this album reflects some of those challenges...some good, some bad. The album also explores my emotion in a very raw, real way. It’s a lot more vulnerable than Exit E. You can expect to hear the Esnavi sound with a mix of retro and futuristic instrumentation if that make sense. I’m excited about it.

Terrance: How has marriage and motherhood changed your perspective on music and as a woman?

Esnavi: Both of these life events have definitely opened up my perspective on life and the understanding of what love truly is. As a mother, I can’t even explain the level of love you feel carrying your child for nine months and then giving birth. It’s the most amazing experience! As a wife, I have grown as a woman in so many ways that has helped me become a better person overall. With both, I had to mature in certain areas that I wasn’t quite ready to mature in, but you don’t really have a choice (laughs). Especially once you become a mother, a huge shift shift just happens and you somehow become ready for everything that comes with it. As far as how that ties in with my music, it has given me more inspiration and more emotion to draw from when creating and performing.

Terrance: Speaking of performing. You once said, the stage was your home. What is it about the stage you enjoy the most?

Esnavi: I feel most alive as an artist when I perform. The recording process is very technical and I don’t necessarily enjoy it. When I perform I feel so comfortable and I don’t have to think about every note being perfect or if I have to do another take. Live, whatever comes out, it is what it is. There’s no going back and no take one, take two, take three, it’s only that one take. I feed off of the energy of the audience whether it’s two people or two thousand it really doesn’t matter. Connecting with that live energy of the people in the room makes performing so exciting for me and makes me feel like the stage is where I belong. It’s the place where I feel 100% free vocally and musically. I’m in my world, in my zone and I can go wherever my soul leads me to go.

Terrance: Are there any upcoming shows that the fans and people should be made aware of?

EEsnavi: Yes. My first show of the year is here in New York on March 30th @ Rockwood Music Hall and tickets are on sale now via my website. I’m really excited about this show. I love performing and I didn’t perform at all last year because I was a new mom. Now I’ve mastered balancing life as a mother and an artist and ready to give 2018 a whole lot of Esnavi LIVE!

Esnavi: I want to continue to explore opportunities in the beauty world. I was the first African-American face to be a print model for a makeup line Alison Raffaele and I have a nail collection with Dazzle Dry so I definitely want to continue along that path. I also want to explore opportunities in the fashion world at some point, like designing my own line of clothes or accessories, and in the entertainment world, television or radio hosting is on my radar, as well as becoming an author.

Terrance: In closing, is there anything you would like to leave with the readers?

Esnavi: Please check out my music. I think it’s worth the time and I believe you will discover something you like. On my debut album, if you’re a lover of good music I believe there is at least one song you would like. Give me a chance and if you like what you hear, please spread the word. :)